Stethoscope with dual convertible receiver



July 6, 1965 D- R. ALLEN STETHOSCOPE WITH DUAL CONVERTIBLE RECEIVER Filed May 25, 1964 Fig.2.

I N VENTOR. DEREK R. ALLEN,

ATTORNEY.

United States Patent 3,193,047 STETHOSCOPE WITH DUAL CONVERTIBLE RECEIVER Derek R. Allen, Glendale, Califi, assignor to Allen Medical Instrument Corporation, Glendale, Califi, a corporation of California Filed May 25, 1964, Ser. No. 369,710 16 Claims. (Cl. 181 -24) This application is a continuation-in-part of my application Serial No. 248,494 filed December 31, 1962, for Stethoscope With Convertible Receiver.

This invention relates to stethoscopes and has as its general object to provide a stethoscope having an improved convertible receiver mechanism which provides maximum versatility in auscultation (listening to the sounds within a human body).

In particular, the invention provides a double-ended receiver having a diaphragm receiver at one end, a bell receiver at its opposite end, and a core which is shiftable to selectively implement the operative condition of either of these receivers.

A further object is to provide such a stethosccope receiver mechanism wherein the core embodies a valve element for selectively directing the path of air flow therethrough, said valve element being rotatable about the common axis of the receiver units for selectively establishing communication between a transmission tube and either the diaphragm unit or the bell unit of the receiver mechanism. 7

A further object is to provide an improved stethoscope receiver mechanism embodying a diaphragm receiver for diaphragm-type reception through direct skin contact, and for extended low frequency range reception of sound, and a bell for high amplitude high frequency sound reception, particularly adapted for use on bony chests and in pediatrics and for listening to small localized areas of a chest.

The terms high and low frequency are to be understood as referring generally to the upper and lower portions (e.g. above and below an intermediate frequency of about 100 cycles) in a range of physiological and pathological sound (usually considered to extend from about 50 cycles up to about 1200 cycles). It will also be understood that the frequencies that can be received will have considerable overlap in the respective settings.

A further object is to provide a stethoscope having improved double-ended receiver mechanism wherein a rotatable core embodies at one end a valve element having a small bell reception face, and at its other end a diaphragm which provides a large-area reception face, said valve element being operative, upon rotation of the core, to selectively connect either of said faces to a port to which an air-column sound-transmitting tube is connected.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent in the ensuing specification and appended drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the receiver of my invention with a portion of the transmission tube attached;

FIG, 2 is an axial sectional view of the same;

FIG. 3 is a transverse sectional view of the same taken on the line 3-3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a detail sectional view taken on the line 44 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a rearward end view of the housing part; and

FIG. 6 is a rearward face view of the large bell of the diaphragm unit.

Referring now to the drawings in detail and in particular to FIG. 1, there is shown therein, as an example of one form in which the invention may be embodied, a

stethoscope receiver assembly A connected to a binaural 'ice transmission tube B which may be of conventional flexible tube construction.

Receiver assembly A (FIG, 2) comprises a bell housing 15 in the form of a generally cylindrical collar within which is rotatably mounted a dual-receiver assembly comprising generally a small bell receiver 16 and a larger diaphragm receiver 17 which are coupled together for rotation as a unit within the housing 15.

Bell housing 15 has at one side thereof an integral boss 20 and a tubular nipple 21 projecting radially as an integral extension thereof, and a straight radial binaural connect-ion passage 22 extending through the boss 20 and nipple 21. Transmission 2B is coup-led to the nipple 21 as shown in FIG. 2. The housing 15 has an approximately cylindrical throat 23 which is of flaring frusto-conical form. Formed in the throat 23 are two axially extending ball detent notches 24 and 24 for reception of a latch ball 26 to position the receiver assembly 16, 17 selectively in two operative positions. The detent notches 24, 24' each terminate at one end in a shoulder 25.

Housing 15 has at one end an enlarged rim 27 pro vided with .a shallow counterbore 28 encircled by a lip 30 having a shallow arcuate notch 29 (FIG. 5.), the

ends-of lip 30 which define the extremities of notch 29 providing stop abutments 31 for positively limiting the rotation of the receiver assembly 16, 17.

Formed integrally with the bottom of the bell 16 is a valve rotor 35 which has a frusto-conical peripheral wall mating with the throat 23 but freely rotatable therein. In the rotor 35 is a radial bore 36 having a closed bottom against which is seated a coil spring 37 which resiliently loads the latch ball 26 for yielding engagement in the detent notches 24, 24 and against the intervening wall of throat 23. In the rotor 35 are a pair of sound-conduction passages 38 and 49 each having an open outer end adapted to register with the inner end of binaural connection passage 22. A port 39 in the center of the bottom (front face) of hell 16 communicates with the inner end of passage 38, which thereby provides for communication between the bell 16 and the binaural tube B in one position of rotary adjustment of the receiver assembly 16, 17.

Diaphragm receiver 17 comprises a slightly dished disc 41 having .a male thread 42 on its periphery, to which is threaded a retainer ring 43 having a radially inwardly projecting lip 44 which secures the periphery of a diaphragm 45 to the periphery of the body disc 41, with substantially all of the area of diaphragm 45 spaced from the dished front face of disc 41 by a shallow conical space 46. A port 47 in the center of disc 41 communicates with the space 46 annd with a port 48 in the center of the back end of valve rotor 35. The communication passage 49 communicates with the port 48 and extends therefrom to the periphery of rotor 35, where it terminates in an opening adapted to register with the inner end of binaural passage 22.

In the back face of diaphragm body disc 41 (FIGS. 2 and 6) is a shallow circular groove 51 which is interrupted by a narrow radial sto web 52. The central portion of the back face of body disc 41, as defined within the groove 51, is fiat and radial and bears against the flat back face of valve rotor 35. The rim 27 of housing 15 is received in the groove 51, and the stop web 52 is received in the arcuate notch 29 of rim 27 and is engageable against the end abutments 31 to limit relative rotation of the receiver assembly 16, 17 in the housing 15. A pair of circular bosses 53, formed integrally with the flat central portion of the back face of diaphragm body disc 41, are received in'a pair of mating recesses 54 inthe rear face of rotor 35, and are provided with apertures through which screws 55 are m3 threaded into the rotor 35 to secure the body disc 41 and hell it? in fixed assembly, with the housing embraced between them. Tolerances are such that the body disc 41, rotor 35 and bell 16 may rotate freely with reference to the housing 15.

The counterbore 28 extends below the back face of rotor 35 and the mating back face of body disc 41, defining with the latter a shallow fiat circular space in which is received a Washer spring 56 engaged under light compression between the bottom of the counterbore and the back face of body disc 41, thus spring-loading the valve rotor 35 into snug seating engagement of its frusto-conical periphery against the mating throat 23 of housing 15 to maintain an approximate pneumatic seal between the valve rotor and the housing. The spring 56 is corrugated transversely of its general plane so as to exert yielding pressure parallel to the common axis of the bells 16, 17.

The housing 15 can be fabricated of metal by die casting, the throat 23 being die-cast to its finished form. Likewise, the small bell l6 and the diaphragm body disc 41 can be die-cast.

In the use of the stethoscope, the operator will normally grasp the rim of diaphragm receiver 17 and, using the same as a handle, rotate the receiver assembly 16, 17 within the housing 15 when necessary, to shift from one operative position to the other. This is an advantage of the coaxial arrangement of valve rotors and receiver units.

In FIGS. 2 and 3, the receiver mechanism is shown adjusted to the position for communication of the bell 16 with the binaural tube B. By rotating the receiver assembly counterclockwise as viewed in FIG. 1, the passage 49 will be brought into registry with the binaural passage 22, thus establishing communication between the binaural tube and the diaphragm receiver 17. In each of the two positions, the latch ball 26 will engage in a respective notch 24 or 24' to yieldingly latch the receiver assembly in a selected position. When shifting from one position to another, the ball will be forced out of the notch in which it has been seated, and will ride against the wall of throat 23 until it reaches the other notch. As shown in FIG. 3, the respectvie notches are of trapezoidal cross section, with inclined side Walls providing a ramp action against the ball to deflect it into its retainer bore 36 against the yielding resistance of spring 37.

I claim:

1. A stethoscope dual receiver mechanism comprising: an annular housing having a coaxial throat and a radial binaural connection passage communicating therewith; and a receiver assembly comprising a pair of axially spaced receivers embracing said housing between them and a valve rotor extending between and connecting said receivers in fixed relation to one another and in coaxial relation to said honing and rotor, said rotor being mounted in said throat for rotation on the common axis of said receivers, said rotor having a pair of sound-conduction passages communicating with respective receivers, diverging toward the periphery of the rotor, and terminating in circumferentially spaced openings in said periphery, said openings being selectively registrable with said binaural connection passage.

2. A stethoscope receiver mechanism as defined in claim 1, wherein said housing is of generally cylindrical collar form and is closely embraced between said receivers. 1

3. A stethoscope receiver mechanism as defined in claim 2, wherein said housing includes an integral binaural connection nipple projecting radially from its periphery and having said connection passage extending therethrough.

4. A stethoscope receiver mechanism as defined in claim 1, wherein said throat and the periphery of said rotor are of mating frusto-conical form, and including an annular spring interposed between the receiver at the smaller diameter end of said rotor and the corresponding end of the housing and spring-loading said rotor periphery into mating engagement with said throat to provide substantially a pneumatic seal between said rotor and throat.

5. A stethoscope receiver mechanism as defined in claim 1, including resilient detent means for yieldingly latching said rotor in its respective operative positions.

6. A stethoscope receiver mechanism comprising: a housing of generally cylindrical collar form having respective ends disposed in parallel planes normal to its axis, said housing having an internal wall defining a valve throat and having a radial binaural passage communicating with said throat; a bell and a valve rotor formed as an integral axial projection therefrom, said bell being rotatable adjacent one of said housing ends, said rotor having a periphery mating with and rotatable in said throat on said housing axis, and having a pair of sound-conduction passages extending outwardly from a central area thereof and terminating in circumferentially-spaced openings in said periphery, said rotor having in its respective ends, as the inward extremities of said sound-conduction passages, respective communication ports one of which communicates with the interior of said bell, said rotor being rotatably adjustable to alternate operative positions in which said openings respectively communicate with said binaural passage; a diaphragm receiver comprising a body disc rotatably coupled to the other of said housing ends in coaxial relation to said housing, rotor and bell, said body disc having an outer face defining a dished recess and a sound-conduction port at the bottom of said recess, communicating with the other of said rotor ports, and a diaphragm peripherally attached to said body disc and covering said recess; and fastener means securing said body disc and rotor together in back-to-back fixed relation to each other.

7. A stethoscope receiver mechanism as defined in claim 6, wherein said fastener means comprises a pair of integral bosses projecting axially from one of the back faces of said body disc and rotor, the other of said back faces having corresponding recesses mating with said bosses, and fastener elements extending through said body disc, through the respective bosses and into said rotor and secured therein.

8. A stethoscope receiver mechanism as defined in claim 6, wherein said fastener means comprises a pair of integral bosses on said rotor, projecting axially from its said back face, the back face of said body disc having corresponding recesses mating with said bosses, and fastener screws extending through said bosses and into said rotor and secured therein.

9. A stethoscope receiver mechanism as defined in claim 6, wherein said'housing has circumferentially-spaced detent notches in said throat and said rotor has a radial ball-cage bore communicating with its periphery; and a spring-loaded ball in said bore, engageable in said notches to latch said rotor in respective operative positions in which said conduction passages are respectively in communication with said binaural connection passage.

10. A stethoscope receiver mechanism comprising: a housing of generally cylindrical collar form having respective ends disposed in parallel planes normal to its axis, said housing having an internal wall defining a valve throat and having a radial binaural passage communicating with said throat; a bell having a dished receiving chamber; a valve rotor formed as an integral axial projection from the back of said bell, said bell being rotatable adjacent one of said housing ends, said rotor having a periphery mating with and rotatable in said throat on said housing axis and having a pair of sound-conduction passages extending outwardly from said axis in circumferentially-diverging relation and terminating in circumferential1yspaced openings in said periphery, said rotor having in its respective ends, on said axis, respective communication ports one of which communicates with the bottom of said bell receiving chamber, said rotor being rotatably adjustable to alternate operative positions in which said openings respectively communicate with said binaural passage; a diaphragm receiver comprising a body disc having an annular face groove in its back face, said groove receiving and rotatably coupled to the other of said housing ends in coaxial relation to said housing, rotor and bell, said body disc having a front face defining a dished recess and a sound-conduction port at the bottom of said recess communicating with the other of said rotor ports, and a diaphragm peripherally attached to said body disc and covering said recess, said rotor and body disc having respective back faces seated one against the other; and fastener means securing said body disc and rotor together at said back faces in fixed relation to each other.

11. A stethoscope receiver mechanism comprising: a housing of generally cylindrical collar form having respective ends disposed in parallel planes normal to its axis, said housing having an internal frusto-conical wall defining a valve throat and having a radial binaural passage communicating with said throat; a bell and a valve rotor for red as an integral axial projection therefrom, said bell being rotatable adjacent one of said housing ends, the other of said housing ends embodying a radially-en larged rim provided with a counterbore coaxial with said throat, said rotor having a frusto-conical periphery mating with and rotatable in said throat on said housing axis, said periphery tapering from larger diameter adjacent said bell to smaller diameter at the back face of said rotor, and having a pair of sound-conduction passages extending outwardly from a central area thereof and terminating in circumferentially-spaced openings in said periphery, said rotor having in its respective ends, as the inner extremities of said sound-conduction passages, respective communication ports one of which communicates with the interior of said bell, said rotor being rotatably adjustable to alternate operative positions in which said openings respectively communicate with said binaural passage; a diaphragm receiver comprising a body disc rotatably coupled to the other of said housing ends in coaxial relation to said housing, rotor and bell and having a back face in opposed relation to the back face of said bell; an annular spring in said counterbore, interposed under light compression between said housing and the back face of said body disc and yieldingly biasing said rotor periphery into substantially sealed engagement with said throat; and fastener means securing said body disc and rotor together at said back faces in fixed relation to each other.

12. A stethoscope receiver mechanism as defined in claim 11, wherein said spring is of marcelled washer form, wherein said housing has on its rim an axially projecting circular lip and said body disc has in its back face an annular face groove in which said lip is received to provide said rotatable coupling of said diaphragm receiver to said other end of the housing.

13. A stethoscope receiver mechanism as defined in claim 12, wherein said lip has therein an arcuate recess defined between end abutments on said lip, and wherein said body disc includes a stop element in its said annular face groove, said stop element being received in said arcuate recess and engageable with said end abutments to limit the rotatable adjustment of said valve rotor.

14. A stethoscope receiver mechanism comprising: a housing of generally cylindrical collar form having respective ends disposed in parallel planes normal to its axis, said housing having an internal wall defining a valve throat and having a radial binaural connection passage communicating with said throat; a bell and a valve rotor formed as an integral axial projection therefrom, said bell being rotatable adjacent one of said housing ends, said rotor having a periphery mating with and rotatable in said throat on said housing axis, and having a pair of sound-conduction passaages extending outwardly from a central area thereof and terminating in circumferentiallyspaced openings in said periphery, said rotor having in its respective ends, as the inward extremities of said passages, respective communication ports one of which communicates with the interior of saidbell, said rotor being rotatably adjustable to alternate operative positions in which said openings respectively communicate with said binaural passage; a diaphragm receiver comprising a body disc having an annular face groove in its back face, said housing having, at the other of its said ends, a circularly arcuate lip of less than full-circle extent, having ends constituting abutments that are spaced apart circumferentially and define between them an arcuate recess, said body disc including an integral stop element in its said annular face groove, said stop element being received in said arcuate recess and engageable with said end abutments to limit the rotatable adjustment of said valve rotor.

15. A stethoscope receiver comprising: a housing; means defining within said housing a central, approxi- 'mately cylindrical valve bore and a radial communication port intersecting said bore; a rotary valve having a diaphragm at one end, having a small bell receiving face at its other end, and having an intermediate, approximately cylindrical valve core coaxial with said diaphragm and with said small bell receiving face, said valve being rotatable within said bore about the common axis of said diaphragm and said small bell receiving face, said valve having a first valve passage communicating with the center of the diaphragm and having in its lateral wall a mouth positioned to register with said communication port, said valve having a second valve passage communicating with said small bell receiving face and having in its lateral wall a mouth angularly displaced from the mouth of said first valve passage and adapted to register with said communication port upon rotation of said valve.

16. A stethoscope receiver as defined in claim 15, including detent means for yieldingly latching said valve core in each of its positions of rotational adjustment.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,513,827 7/50 Tynan 18124 2,719,594 10/55 Smithline 18l24 3,035,656 5/62 Kebel 18124 3,109,508 11/63 Cefaly 18l-24 LEO SMILOW, Primary Examiner. 

1. A STETHOSCOPE DUAL RECEIVER MECHANISM COMPRISING: AN ANNULAR HOUSING HAVING A COAXIAL THROAT AND A RADIAL BINAURAL CONNECTION PASSAGE COMMUNICATING THEREWITH; AND A RECEIVER ASSEMBLY COMPRISING A PAIR OF AXIALLY SPACED RECEIVERS EMBRACING SAID HOUSING BETWEEN THEM AND A VALVE ROTOR EXTENDING BETWEEN AND CONNECTING SAID RECEIVERS IN FIXED RELATION TO ONE ANOTHER AND IN COAXIAL RELATION TO SAID HOUSING AND ROTOR, SAID ROTOR BEING MOUNTED IN SAID THROAT FOR ROTATION ON THE COMMON AXIS OF SAID RECEIVERS, SAID MOTOR HAVING A PAIR OF SOUND-CONDUCTION PASSAGES COMMUNICATING WITH RESPECTIVE RECEIVERS, DIVERGING TOWARD THE PERIPHERY OF THE ROTOR, AND TERMINATING IN CIRCUMFERENTIALLY SPACED OPENINGS, IN SAID PERIPHERY, SAID 